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CHICAGO—The president of Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today condemned House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D) for attempting to bribe house Democrats into voting to make permanent, the 67% increase in the state personal income tax.
“Bribing and intimidating legislators runs in the Democrat party family,” said Jim Tobin, TUA president.
This January, the ‘temporary’ state personal income tax that raised the rate from 3% to 5% is due to drop to 3.75% and to 3.25% in 2025, and the 9.5% state corporate income tax is required to drop to 7.75% in 2015 and drop further in 2025 to a rate of 7.3%. Gov. Patrick Quinn (D) and Chicago Democrat machine boss and House Speaker Madigan originally promised Illinois taxpayers that the income tax hikes would be temporary. Now, Madigan, who is short of the 60 votes needed to extend the income tax hike, is pulling out all the stops to bribe and intimidate Democrats in the Ill. House.”
“Madigan is basically telling house members that if they don’t vote ‘Yes’, their districts will get no new capital projects, and that they may lose projects they already have.”
“Bribes are standard operating procedures for Springfield Democrats. Gov. Quinn bribed former St. Rep. Careen Gordon (D-Morris) in order to secure her vote for the 67% increase in the state personal income tax. Her Yes vote gave Quinn the minimum 60 votes. “The Chicago Tribune in January 2011 revealed that after securing Gordon’s Yes vote, Quinn gave Gordon a new $86,000-a-year state job.”
“Almost all of the money from the 67% income tax increase is going to shore-up the floundering state government-employee pension funds, which provide retired government employees lavish, gold-plated pensions that are higher than the actual wages of most workers in the private sector.”
“If the Illinois economy stands any chance of recovery, house Democrats must stand firm and reject House Bill 395, which would make the 67% increase in the state personal income tax permanent.”